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    Home » Cookies » Flourless Fudge Cookies

    Flourless Fudge Cookies

    Published: Jan 7, 2020 · Modified: Mar 3, 2021 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Gluten-free Flourless Fudge Cookies taste rich and fudgy - like the edge of a brownie! And the cookies have less than 70 calories each! Stack of Flourless Fudge Cookies

    These flourless chocolate cookies are light and crisp at the edges, like meringue cookies. The centers are rich and fudgy like a brownie. And at 68 calories each, these cookies are lighter than most cookies.

    Also, they don't take much time to make. Since they're made in one bowl and there's so butter to soften, I can get these cookies made in about 5 minutes. So, from start to finish, these cookies take less than 15 minutes to make!

    How To Make Flourless Fudge Cookies

    Cocoa powder and powdered sugar in a glass mixing bowl

    Whisk the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the egg whites and vanilla and whisk in until just combined.

    Flourless fudge cookie batter in a glass mixing bowl

    Stir in the chocolate chips just until incorporated. Scoop tablespoonfuls of the batter and place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.

    Baked flourless fudge cookies on a baking sheet

    Bake until the tops are lightly cracked and glossy, about 8-10 minutes. Oven temperatures vary, so your baking time may vary.

    Row of flourless fudge cookies next to a tin of cookiesTips 

    • Mixing: These cookies will have meringue-like edges but soft, fudgy centers. Mixing by hand helps to get the proper consistency. Whipping the eggs will give you a meringue-like cookie without the fudgy centers.
    • Egg whites: I've made this recipe dozens of times, and I always use 4 egg whites. However, some people have found that they have better luck with 3 egg whites and other people have found that the recipe works better as written. You may want to start with 3 egg whites, and add the 4th egg white if needed.
    • Extracts: You can swap out the vanilla extract with another flavor, like peppermint, to change up the flavor of the cookies.
    • Consistency: The cookies will be thin. The edges are crisp, the middles are soft. The batter is thin and isn't like a traditional thick cookie dough.
    • If you want a thicker chocolate cookie, try my Brownie Cookie recipe instead. If you're looking for a softer, chewier gluten-free cookie with add-ins, this is the recipe you want.

    Stack of flourless fudge cookies on a wooden cutting boardMore Gluten Free Dessert Recipes!

    • Flourless Brownies
    • Flourless Chocolate Cake

    More Easy Cookie Recipes! 

    • Easy M&M Cookie Recipe
    • Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

    If you’ve tried this flourless fudge cookie recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who've made my recipes!

    You can SUBSCRIBE to receive my latest recipe newsletters or FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for even more delicious food.

    Flourless Fudge Cookies

    Thin chocolate cookies with crisp edges and fudgy middles. 
    4.94 from 16 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 8 minutes
    Total Time: 13 minutes
    Servings: 34 cookies
    Calories: 68kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups powdered sugar
    • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 3-4 large egg whites1
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract2
    • ½ cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    • Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats. Spray mats with nonstick cooking spray. You can also line with parchment paper.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar with cocoa powder and salt.
    • Stir in the vanilla and egg whites.
    • Whisk just until the batter is moistened.
    • Stir in the chocolate chips.
    • Scoop the batter by the tablespoonful onto the baking sheets. The batter will be thin. Leave enough space between each cookie for them to spread (about 2 ½” of space between each cookie).
    • Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked.
    • Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet, and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

    Video

    Notes

    1. Some people have found that they have better luck with 3 egg whites and other people have found that the recipe works better with 4. You may want to start with 3 egg whites, and add the 4th egg white if needed.
    2. You can swap out part or all of the vanilla for other extracts and flavorings, like peppermint, to change up the flavor. 
    3. Nutrition facts have been estimated.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 68kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 22mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!

    Originally published 6/3/12. Updated with new photos and tips 1/7/19.

    Adapted from chocolateandcarrots.com

    « Bran Muffins
    Multigrain Pancakes »
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    About Kate

    Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. KATHY M SHARP

      February 05, 2021 at 11:47 am

      I have made these cookies for yrs. They are simply wonderful. I was just wondering if there is a vanilla version? Can I just leave cocoa powder out?
      Thanks so Much

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 08, 2021 at 1:47 pm

        Hi! I'm so glad that you've been enjoying the cookies! I have a coconut almond version, but, unfortunately, I've never tried to make a vanilla version.

        Reply
    2. Grace Fuller

      August 11, 2020 at 5:18 pm

      I used powdered swerve instead of sugar so maybe that changed it, but mine did not turn out well. The batter was much thicker than I expected and it never cracked or glossed over in the oven. After 10 minutes I took them out because the egg on top was beginning to fry. I'm not sure what went wrong. I do think I'll try them again but I'll use sugar next time and see if that makes them good.

      Reply
      • Kate

        August 12, 2020 at 8:20 am

        First, thanks for sharing that powdered swerve doesn't work well in this recipe! I get questions about subs like that, and it's helpful to hear the subs that work and the subs that don't. Unfortunately, any time that you make a change like that in a baking recipe it can affect how it turns out. Sugar substitutes tend to act differently in recipes than regular sugars, and they usually require other changes to the recipe. I'm not sure if you saw the photos that show what the batter should look like, but it should be pretty thin. Also, if there was egg on top, it sounds like it needed to be mixed better (maybe it was difficult to mix because it was thick?).

        Reply
    3. Rachel

      July 27, 2020 at 1:06 pm

      Does it work the same if I cut this recipe in half?..

      Reply
      • Kate

        July 29, 2020 at 8:30 am

        I haven't halved the recipe, but I've heard from people who have. They've said that it worked well for them.

        Reply
    4. Nikki

      July 09, 2020 at 8:05 pm

      4 stars
      These were delicious but something went terribly wrong! I used 3 large egg whites and the batter was crumbly so I added one more and it moisten everything but was so thick it was the consistency of fudge. My eggs were a little old so maybe that impacted it? Absolutely delicious but however I messed it up made it so thick and hard to scoop and only made 23 cookies. Will definitely make again sigh fresh eggs and see if that changes anything.

      Reply
      • Kate

        July 13, 2020 at 10:05 am

        That's too bad! If you'd like any help troubleshooting, please let me know!

        Reply
    5. Bethany Bryant

      June 17, 2020 at 8:40 pm

      Did some tweaking paid attention to my grade size eggs 3 worked fine for large eggs and measured out by teaspoon . my oven runs hot so cook time down 5 min

      Reply
      • Kate

        June 18, 2020 at 3:03 pm

        Glad that it worked out well for you!

        Reply
    6. Destiny

      June 03, 2020 at 9:25 pm

      Love this recipe, thank you! I made it twice. First turned out delicious, 2nd I substituted powdered Swerve a d they actually turned out good too! The texture is a little different but once it cools, it’s like a cookie bark. Yum!

      Reply
      • Kate

        June 04, 2020 at 9:40 am

        Thank you so much! =)

        Reply
    7. Jenn

      May 02, 2020 at 2:33 pm

      Is powdered sugar the same as icing sugar?

      Reply
      • Kate

        May 06, 2020 at 3:58 pm

        It is! It's also called confectioner's sugar.

        Reply
    8. isabella

      April 25, 2020 at 12:05 pm

      how much of cocoa and powdered sugar?

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 25, 2020 at 12:28 pm

        Hi! If you click on "jump to recipe" at the top of the page, it will take you right to the recipe with all of the ingredients and instructions.

        Reply
    9. Bethia Rubinstein

      March 27, 2020 at 3:16 am

      If we don't use choc chips will they still be firm enough?

      Reply
      • Kate

        March 27, 2020 at 10:18 pm

        It's more of a batter-like consistency. There are photos of the unbaked cookies, so you can see what it should look like. The number of egg whites will be what determines how thick or firm the cookies turn out.

        Reply
    10. Britney

      February 25, 2020 at 11:37 pm

      5 stars
      They are a big win at my house! Thank you for the easy & delicious recipe!

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 26, 2020 at 8:48 am

        Thank you so much! I'm glad that you liked the cookies. =)

        Reply
    11. Kendall

      February 24, 2020 at 2:50 pm

      Recipe is good. Extremely chocolatey. Make sure you use enough eggs or else cookies will come out flat and not crispy. Make sure they are glossy in outside before you take them out of the oven.

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 26, 2020 at 8:50 am

        Thanks! It sounds like you're recommending to follow the recipe, which is always a good choice the first time through. =)

        Reply
    12. Jooya

      January 19, 2020 at 4:43 am

      my cookies were too flat, couldnt take them out either
      the underside was sticking to the mat, maybe i was supposed to add butter under the nonstick mat?

      Reply
      • Kate

        January 19, 2020 at 10:02 am

        Hi! The recipe calls for greasing the baking mat with nonstick spray. Did you do that?

        Reply
    13. dave

      January 11, 2020 at 10:07 am

      any comments on subbing the powdered sugar with powered monk fruit??

      Reply
    14. Cindy

      December 15, 2019 at 10:21 am

      Total failure. Used 4 egg whites upon recommendation. Didn't hold up and were just too thin. Very dissappointed. Took them to our annual Christmas Cookie Bake. Bummer!

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 16, 2019 at 9:24 am

        That is a bummer! This is why it's important to read through the entire recipe before you begin. Both above the recipe and in the recipe notes it says to start with three egg whites and add a 4th as necessary. Sounds like 3 would have worked better for you.

        Reply
    15. Lindsay

      June 28, 2019 at 9:21 am

      What temperature do we bake them at?

      Reply
      • Kate

        June 28, 2019 at 5:26 pm

        Hi! You bake the cookies at 350F.

        Reply
    16. Ang

      April 11, 2019 at 6:01 am

      5 stars
      They look like brownies!!

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 11, 2019 at 1:09 pm

        Thank you! =)

        Reply
    17. ams

      December 16, 2018 at 7:53 am

      Made these today, as others said, the batter is very very loose if you use 4 egg whites. The original recipe is also incredibly sweet, which you should expect from the ingredients going in.

      If you did commit to 4 egg whites and are now working with a loose and very sweet batter, you can add another 1/4 cup of cocoa powder, that helped me get to a more scoopable consistency and the final result is similar to the picture above. The cocoa also cuts through some of the sweetness.

      The end result, after adding the additional cocoa powder was pretty good, with a brownie gooeyness in the middle. I do think that this recipe could be better if the quantities were in grams instead of cups...with baking, cups have very different results, which may be where the issue comes from in this recipe.

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 16, 2018 at 7:56 pm

        Thank you for your notes! I've been working back through my recipes to add measurements in grams and plan to add those measurements to this recipe as well.

        Reply
    18. Laurel

      June 26, 2018 at 10:18 am

      I made these with 3 egg whites instead of 4 and about 2/3 of the vanilla (the last of the bottle), and made them a bit smaller than yours (I got 42 cookies instead of 34). Baked for 8 minutes, and some of them needed the extra 2ish minutes to not be mushy in the middle.

      My roommates loved them, but they're a little too sweet for my taste. Do you think I could substitute some of the powdered sugar for more cocoa powder?

      Reply
      • Kate

        June 26, 2018 at 11:42 am

        I'm glad to hear that they worked out! I think it might. I would probably start with a smaller amount, maybe 1/4 cup cocoa powder and see how it turns out. Good luck! =)

        Reply
    19. Jen

      April 28, 2018 at 1:17 am

      5 stars
      Fantastic! Cookies were great. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 28, 2018 at 1:20 am

        Thank you! I'm glad you liked them! =)

        Reply
    20. Laura

      September 21, 2016 at 12:35 am

      Complete fail. Gooey thin and don't hold up! Most other flourless have egg whites and 1 egg, and cornstarch. They fold in the whipped egg whites. Thus recipe is missing something. Batter tastes great but can't serve that.

      Reply
      • HELEN ELLIOTT

        May 21, 2020 at 9:58 pm

        Read the notes on King Arthur web site. They recommend MEASURING your egg whites and give lotuses of info on what to avoid. I've made these for years for events. They are deliciously habit-forming, And just Happen to be
        gluten free. Our local bakery makes large one that sell for $5.00. each. Con't give up. You can do this.

        Reply
        • Kate

          March 12, 2021 at 5:25 pm

          Thank you!

          Reply
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